KR102196029B1 - Magnetic attachment for shaving cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

A shaving system is disclosed that includes a replaceable shaving assembly and a cartridge connection structure connecting the shaving assembly to a handle. In a preferred embodiment, the cartridge connection structure has a magnetic portion configured to help pull the cartridge to the handle and hold the cartridge in place when the razor is not in contact with the skin, and the holding force necessary to keep the system intact during shaving. It has a mechanical engagement portion to provide.

Description

Magnetic attachment for shaving cartridge {MAGNETIC ATTACHMENT FOR SHAVING CARTRIDGE}

Cross-reference to related applications

This patent application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/651,732 filed May 25, 2012 and U.S. Application No. 13/802,546 filed Mar 13, 2013. The entirety of each of these basic applications is incorporated herein by reference.

The present invention relates to a shaving system having a handle and a replaceable cartridge.

Shaving systems often consist of a handle and a replaceable cartridge, in which one or more blades are mounted in a plastic housing. When the blades in the cartridge become dull after use, discard the cartridge and replace it with a new cartridge in the handle.

"Cartridge-type" shaving systems have become popular, using several dedicated connection structures that attach the cartridge to the handle. This is partly intended by razor manufacturers who wish to have a dedicated connection in part, and a repeat purchase is recommended. This connection structure allows the consumer to easily, repeatedly, efficiently and intuitively remove the used cartridge from the handle and load a new cartridge into the handle to maintain the integrity of the handle-cartridge attachment during shaving. Can provide.

This connection structure must be rigid enough to provide the holding force necessary to maintain the integrity of the handle-cartridge attachment during shaving. Today's industry has achieved this goal by employing a wide range of complex mechanical load and release mechanisms and release buttons. Thus, there is a need to provide a simpler, more intuitive and reliable shaving handle-cartridge connection method.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a shaving system comprising a replaceable shaving assembly and a connection structure connecting the shaving assembly to a handle.

The present invention generally features a shaving system comprising a replaceable shaving assembly and a connecting structure connecting the shaving assembly to a handle. In a preferred embodiment, the cartridge connection structure is a magnetic portion configured to draw the cartridge to the handle and to help hold the cartridge in place when the razor is not in contact with the skin, And a mechanical engagement that provides the retention force necessary to keep the system intact during shaving. In some cases, the mechanical engagement is an attachment to the end of the razor handle and a mating receiver in a shaving assembly designed at an appropriate angle so that the load applied to the cartridge during shaving pushes the appendage into the receiver. Includes.

In one aspect, the present invention provides a magnetic force between the handle and the shaving assembly sufficient to hold the shaving assembly to the handle between a handle, a shaving assembly mounted to the handle, and shaving strokes. A shaving system comprising a magnetic portion configured to provide a ).

Some implementations include one or more of the following features.

The shaving assembly may include an interface element configured to provide a mechanical engagement between the shaving assembly and the handle. The interface element and the distal portion of the handle may be configured to hold the shaving assembly to the handle when the shaving surface of the shaving assembly contacts the user's skin. The handle has a distal end and a proximal end, and can include an attachment protruding from the distal end, and the shaving assembly can include an interface element having a receiving portion configured to receive the attachment. Alternatively, the handle may include a receiving portion at the distal end, and the shaving assembly may include an accessory configured to be received at the receiving portion.

In some cases, the magnetic portion includes at least one magnet attached to the end of the accessory, and the receiving portion includes a ferrous material. Alternatively, the magnet may be located in the receiving portion, and the accessory may comprise a ferrous material.

The appendage may be arranged such that the long axis of the appendix is at an angle of +30 degrees to -30 degrees with respect to the crossbar center of the handle, the handle being mounted to the handle by the shaving assembly. A generally flat rim surface surrounding an accessory configured to engage a corresponding rim surface on the interface element. In this case, the rim surface on the handle may be disposed at an angle of about 10 to 20 degrees with respect to the longitudinal inertia axis of the handle.

The shaving assembly generally includes a blade unit that can be mounted to the handle through a pivoting connection. The pivoting connection between the handle and the blade unit may be configured to allow the user to rotate the handle between approximately 15 degrees and 105 degrees from a reference skin plane during shaving.

In some cases, the interface element includes a tab that is configured to be gripped by a user to facilitate removal of the shaving assembly from the handle. This tab may provide a visual cue to the user to help the user remove the shaving assembly.

In another aspect, the invention comprises a shaving system comprising a handle and a shaving assembly mounted to the handle, the shaving assembly comprising an interface element configured to provide a mechanical engagement between the shaving assembly and the handle. It is characterized. The interface element and the distal portion of the handle comprise a male portion configured such that a shaving force acts through the male portion to hold the shaving assembly to the handle when the shaving surface of the shaving assembly contacts the user's skin, and Includes a female portion.

Some implementations of this aspect include one or more of the following features. The handle has a distal end and a proximal end, and can include an attachment protruding from the distal end, and the shaving assembly can include an interface element having a receiving portion configured to receive the attachment. Alternatively, the handle may include a receiving portion at the distal end, and the shaving assembly may include an accessory configured to be received at the receiving portion.

The attachment may be arranged such that the long axis of the attachment is at an angle of +30 degrees to -30 degrees with respect to the center of the crossbar of the handle, the handle having a corresponding rim surface on the interface element when the shaving assembly is mounted to the handle. And a generally flat rim surface surrounding the appendage configured to engage with. In this case, the rim surface on the handle may be disposed at an angle of about 10 to 20 degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis of inertia of the handle.

The shaving assembly generally includes a blade unit that can be mounted to the handle through a pivoting connection. The pivoting connection between the handle and the blade unit may be configured to allow the user to rotate the handle between approximately 15 degrees and 105 degrees from the reference skin plane during shaving.

In some cases, the interface element includes a tab configured to be gripped by a user to facilitate removal of the shaving assembly from the handle. This tab can provide the user with visual cues to assist the user in removing the shaving assembly.

The invention also features a method of mounting a shaving assembly to a handle of a shaving system using the magnetic force described herein, and a method of shaving using the shaving system described herein.

Embodiments of the present invention may include one or more of the following advantages. Using the magnetic part to provide the necessary force to pull the cartridge to the handle, and using a unique mechanical engagement to hold the cartridge in place during shaving, facilitates cartridge removal with little chance of unintentional detachment during use. Can be loaded. Furthermore, the cartridge can be released and removed from the handle by simply applying a small force.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention is a shaving system consisting of a handle and a disposable cartridge that can be easily loaded and unloaded on the handle, while being sufficiently strong to provide the holding force necessary to maintain the integrity of the handle-cartridge attachment during shaving. Provides. Due to the relatively simple construction of the handle-cartridge connection, preferred shaving systems can be easily assembled and manufactured cost-effectively. Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments and the appended claims.

In order to more fully understand the invention and its features, reference is now made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings:
1 is a perspective view of a shaving system according to an embodiment;
2A and 2B are perspective views of the handle of the shaving system shown in FIG. 1, wherein FIG. 2B shows the magnet separated from the handle;
3A and 3B are perspective views of the shaving assembly of the system shown in FIG. 1; Fig. 3b shows a ferrous stip separated from a magnetic receiver;
4 is an exploded perspective view of the system shown in FIG. 1;
5A and 5B are cross-sectional views of the system shown in FIG. 1 taken along the long axis of the shaving system, respectively showing that the shaving assembly is detached from or attached to the handle;
6A-6C are schematic diagrams showing forces generally acting on the blade unit when using a shaving system, showing the blade units in different positions in several views;
7A-7D are schematic diagrams showing the angle of rotation generally taken by the blade unit when the shaving system is at rest and in use. 7E is a diagram illustrating a method of measuring the longitudinal axis of inertia of a handle;
8A-8C illustrate the angular orientation of an appendage with respect to a line perpendicular to the plane of the rim of the handle in three different embodiments;
9A-9C illustrate an alternative embodiment of a shaving system. 9A is an exploded perspective view of the system, FIG. 9B is a perspective view of the handle only, and FIG. 9C is a side cross-sectional view of the shaving system taken along the long axis of the shaving system.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to consumer goods, and more particularly, to a shaving system having a replaceable cartridge system, referred to herein as a shaving assembly. As described above, in a preferred system the magnet pulls the cartridge to the handle and pulls the cartridge when not shaving (e.g., between shaving strokes, during rinsing, and when not using the shaving system). Provides the necessary force to hold the handle, and during shaving, a mechanical engagement portion is used to hold the cartridge in place when the shaving assembly contacts the skin.

Although the shaving system is described below, the magnetic and/or mechanical engagement parts described herein are consumer goods, personal care products (e.g., toothbrushes or hairbrushes), reusable shaving systems, replaceable hair loss systems and grooming. It is noted that it can be used in any suitable consumer goods system, including but not limited to systems. It is understood that the system 100 shown in FIG. 1 is for illustrative purposes only and that any other shaving system or dehairing system or subsystem may be used in conjunction with or in place of the system. A preferred shaving system is a safety razor with replaceable cartridge-type blade construction.

Referring to FIG. 1, a shaving system 100 according to an embodiment includes a shaving assembly 120 that is removably mounted to a handle 104 . As is well known, the shaving assembly and handle may be marketed as a kit and/or may be sold separately. The shaving assembly 120 includes a blade unit 102 comprising one or more blades. The blade unit 102 is an interface element comprising a finger 124 that is pivotably engaged and received in a bore 126 (see FIGS. 3A-3B) in the blade unit as is well known in the art of shaving systems. 122 ) through the handle 104 is mounted pivotally. The interface element further defines the magnetic receiver 106 in the form of a hollow central cavity. A tab 103 is provided on one side of the interface element 122 to help the user separate the shaving assembly from the handle 104 by providing a secure gripping surface when the shaving assembly 120 needs to be replaced. The tab can provide a visual indication to the user on how to remove the interface element from the handle.

The interaction of the handle 104 and the interface element 122 provides magnetic force and mechanical engagement described above. The magnetic force is provided by the interaction of the magnet 107 mounted on the attachment 108 of the handle 104 and the iron strip 105 (FIGS. 3A-3B) positioned within the magnetic receiver 106 . Magnet ( 107 ) and Attraction between the ferrous strip 105 is sufficient hagieneun user shaving assembly hagieneun interface elements traction (draw) for a appendages when the user needs to replace the 120 enough, but easily removed from the handle to replace the shaving assembly 120 not. The magnetic force is sufficient to keep the shaving assembly in place on the handle when the mechanical engagement created by the shaving force is not working - for example when the user rinses the blade unit and is between shaving strokes.

2A and 2B, the magnet 107 is positioned within the recess 101 in the attachment 108 , for example through a press fit, or by means of an adhesive or other assembly technique. It can be held fixed in place. Iron strip 105 can be attached to receiver 106 by any suitable assembly technique including, for example, crimping, riveting, adhesives, and other commonly practiced attachment methods.

The iron strip 105 can be of any suitable size, shape, configuration or structure, as long as it interacts with the magnet 107 to provide sufficient magnetic force. In one embodiment, the iron strip 105 may include an iron material or a ferromagnetic material, such as nickel or cobalt or an alloy thereof, or may be any material capable of an attractive force with a magnet.

Magnet 107 may be selected from any magnetic material, such as “permanent” magnets, rare earth magnets, ceramic magnets, Mn-Al alloy magnets, electromagnets, and the like. Preferably, the magnet 107 includes a magnetic material selected from the group consisting of ceramic magnets, rare earth magnets, or combinations thereof. Most preferably, the magnet is a rare earth magnet selected from neodymium iron boron, samarium cobalt, AlNiCo and mixtures thereof.

In some embodiments, the iron strip 105 may have an elongated shape with rounded edges and a relatively flat surface, for example as shown in FIG. 1. In another embodiment, the iron strip may be configured to cover the entire interior surface of the recessed area of the magnetic receiver 106 or a portion thereof, for example a portion of the sidewall of the magnetic receiver 106 .

Corrosion of the iron strip is a matter of the durability expected of a shaver due to the humid environment. Preferably, the iron strip is made of magnetic grade stainless steel, or of conventional grade ferric steel or other ferrous metal treated to impart corrosion resistance. For example, the metal can be plated with, for example, nickel, or coated with a protective coating, such as paint or epoxy. In another embodiment, the metal may be molded into the magnetic receiver.

5A and 5B, when mounting the new shaving assembly 120 to the handle 104 , the attachment 108 is inserted into the magnetic receiver 106 , and the magnet 107 and The magnetic attraction between the iron strips 105 pulls the two parts together and serves to engage them with each other. When the attachment 108 is received in the receiver 106 , the rim 121 in the handle surrounding the attachment contacts the corresponding rim 123 in the receiver 106 as shown in FIG. 5B.

When a shaving load is applied to the shaving assembly, the engagement between the accessory and the receiver is essentially maintained by a mechanical engagement designed to absorb the forces generated during shaving, with the magnetic force providing some auxiliary holding force. In a preferred embodiment, the mechanical engagement portion, if the blade unit is placed in contact with the skin, during all normal shaving loads - even in the absence of magnetism (e.g., magnets and iron strips are omitted for testing). Even if) --, it is configured to hold the shaving assembly in place. In most implementations, the mechanical engagement is not designed to hold the cartridge to the handle between shaving strokes. When the blade unit is lifted from the skin, magnetic force is required to overcome the gravity of the cartridge, preventing the magnetic receiver from falling off the handle attachment.

6A-6C are diagrams showing the mechanical forces applied and absorbed to the shaving system generally during shaving (as long as the blade unit contacts the user's skin). In general, the force applied parallel to the skin surface is the shaving force (S) generated by the user pulling the blade towards the skin and the force generally against it (e.g., friction, drag, skin swelling (skin)). bulge) and blade cutting force) (F). There is a downward pressure (P _shaving ) that presses the blade unit toward the skin and resisting it, the upward pressure of the user's skin (P _skin ) is generally present perpendicular to these forces. During shaving, the majority of the forces that must be resisted at the interface between the shaving assembly and the handle are generally forces parallel to the skin surface (forces F and S). Attachment ( 108 ) and The receiver 106 is designed to rotate together while the handle pushing the appendage into the receiver rotates to absorb these forces without relative displacement due to the interaction between these parts.

7A-7D show the angle of rotation taken by the handle relative to the blade unit generally during shaving and during rest, showing how the accessory/receptor assembly rotates during use. As shown in Fig. 7A, the attachment 108 and the receiver 106 are designed to be positioned at an angle A1 of approximately 15 degrees from the horizontal plane in which the blade unit lies during rest. When the cartridge is placed on the skin (Fig. 7B and Fig. 7C), the user can be between approximately 15 degrees and 105 degrees from the reference skin plane (in Fig. 7D, A2=15°, A3) during shaving by means of a pivoting connection between the handle and the blade unit. =60° and A4=105°), the handle can be moved/rotated continuously. This angle is measured between the longitudinal axis of inertia of the handle (see Figure 7e) and the skin surface.

Attachment ( 108 ) and Receptor 106 during shaving (up stroke, down stroke and lateral movement stroke) razor handle attachment 108 and The receiver 106 is designed to rotate together while the razor handle rotates without being separated. This "self-locking" relationship is basically (a) the angle of the attachment 108 with respect to the line taken perpendicular to the plane of the rim 121 (crossbar plane, Fig. 7e), +35 in the preferred embodiment. Degrees to -35 degrees, for example, an angle ranging from +30 degrees to -30 degrees as shown in FIGS. 8A to 8C, and (b) the plane of the rim 121 as shown in FIG. 7E The angle between (crossbar plane) and the longitudinal axis of inertia is achieved by an angle ranging from about 10 to 20 degrees in some implementations. The angle of the attachment is selected based on balancing the need for the user to relatively easily load the shaving assembly to the handle with a desired level of holding force.

When the shaving surface of the blade unit is placed in contact with the face (eg, as shown in Fig. 7c), during shaving the razor handle can rotate between many angles as described above. When the razor handle angle increases during the shaving stroke, the attachment 108 and Due to the inherent “self-locking” mechanical design between the receivers 106 , the integrity of the connection between the shaving assembly and the handle can be increased in effect.

The handle 104 provides the end user with some means of gripping or controlling the system 100 . In one embodiment, the handle 104 can improve the performance of the system 100 by generally providing adequate leverage to the end user to achieve special shaving results, usability, ease of handling and easy storage. The handle 104 may include a number of ergonomic elements, rubberized materials, other features, or any suitable combination thereof to improve the user's control and handling of the system 100 . Handle 104 can be of any suitable size, shape or configuration.

The handles, blade units and other rigid plastic parts of the shaving system are, for example, polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE), high density (HD) PETE, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), thermoplastic polymers, Made of any suitable material, including polypropylene, oriented polypropylene, polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyester, high gloss polyester, or combinations thereof. I can.

Other examples

While the present invention has been described in terms of specific embodiments and generally associated methods, various changes and modifications to these embodiments and methods will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art.

For example, as shown in FIGS. 9A-9C, in the above-described embodiment the attachment was on the handle, but this arrangement can be reversed and the attachment 208 protrudes from the interface element 222 so that the handle 204 It may be accommodated in the magnetic receiver 206 disposed in ). In the embodiment shown in the figure, the magnet 207 is located in the attachment 208 and the iron strip 205 is located in the magnetic receiver 206 . However, in this embodiment or in the embodiment described with reference to Fig. 1, the positions of the iron strips and magnets can be reversed if desired. Since iron strips are generally less expensive than magnets, it may be desirable to have iron strips on the shaving assembly rather than on the handle, regardless of the relative position of the accessories and receiver.

In addition, the magnets and iron strips can be of any desired size and shape or material as long as they provide adequate magnetic force. For example, it is understood that the attachment 108 can accommodate any suitable number, size configuration and shape of the magnet(s) 107 .

While an example of a blade unit is shown in the drawings, the blade unit may have any desired configuration suitable for shaving hair from the contact surface and in contact with the skin when the cartridge is pulled towards the surface while applying a normal shaving force. The blade angle, the number of blades and the shape of the cartridge assembly are, for example, those commonly used by those of ordinary skill in the art of shaving systems, e.g., U.S. Patent No. 7,448,135, 7,197,825, 7,765,700, and 7,621,203 may be those described. For example, the blade unit 102 may comprise a blade, a sharp edge, a tapered edge, or other type of depilating surface that slides over the skin and preferably removes unwanted hair. The blade unit 102 may include a single blade, a double blade or any suitable number of blades for shaving hair. The blade unit 102 may be of any suitable size, shape or configuration.

Thus, the foregoing description of exemplary embodiments does not limit or limit the present invention. Various changes, substitutions and modifications will be possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and the appended claims.

Claims (10)

As a shaving system,
A handle having a distal end and a proximal end, the distal end defining a receiving portion in the form of a cavity at the distal end;
A shaving assembly mounted on the distal end of the handle and comprising a blade unit pivotally mounted to an interface element, wherein the receiving portion of the handle is disposed toward the blade unit, and the interface element is from the interface element. Having an accessory extending toward the handle and received within the receiving portion, the contact between the accessory and the receiving portion so as to retain the shaving assembly on the handle only when the shaving surface of the shaving assembly contacts the user's skin. The shaving assembly, wherein the attachment is removable from the receiving portion by a user to allow replacement of the shaving assembly; And
A magnetic attachment system configured to provide a magnetic force between the handle and the shaving assembly sufficient to hold the shaving assembly to the handle between shaving strokes, the magnetic attachment system comprising a magnet and an iron element. Wherein the magnet and the iron element have a flat surface disposed in face-to-face contact when the shaving assembly is mounted to the handle, the attachment comprising a recess and a flat rim surface surrounding the attachment, the magnet and The ferrous element comprises the magnetic attachment system, received in the receiving portion and the recess,
The shaving system, wherein the pivoting connection between the handle and the blade unit is configured to allow a user to rotate the handle between 15 degrees and 105 degrees from a reference skin plane during shaving.
The method of claim 1,
The magnetic attachment system comprises at least one magnet located within the recess,
The shaving system, wherein the receiving portion comprises an iron element.
The method of claim 1,
The magnetic attachment system includes an iron element located within the recess; And
A shaving system comprising a magnet positioned on the receiving portion.
The method of claim 1,
The shaving system, wherein the appendage is arranged such that the long axis of the appendage is at an angle of +30 degrees to -30 degrees with respect to the crossbar center of the handle.
delete The method of claim 1,
Wherein the interface element comprises a tab configured to be gripped by a user to facilitate removal of the shaving assembly from the handle.
The method of claim 1,
Wherein the handle has a straight area and a curved area adjacent the distal end.
The method of claim 7,
The shaving system, wherein the curved region is curved in a single direction when viewed from the side.
The method of claim 1,
The distal end of the handle comprises a yoke-like member having a pair of distal extension arms,
Wherein the receiving portion is disposed between the upper end extension arms.
The method of claim 1,
A circumferential side wall defines the receiving portion,
Wherein the sidewall has a top surface configured to engage the rim surface of the appendage.

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